ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: The impact of the periodic forcing on the structure and dynamics of the benthic boundary layer (BBL) in a thermally stratified lake was investigated using data collected from two field studies. Times series temperature data from thermistor chains were used to characterize the thermal structure and the basin-scale internal wave field in the lake. Microstructure data were used to derive the thickness of the BBL and to describe the mean turbulent properties within the BBL. It was found that the thickness of the BBL on the sloping boundary of the lake varied considerably with time and space. A clear connection of the dynamics of the BBL with the large-scale features of the flow is presented. The time history of the mixing in the BBL was shown to vary with the phase of the basin-scale internal waves. The findings provide a proper characterization of the dynamics of the BBL required for water quality modelling.